When asking questions gets you blacklisted

Franke is a Canadian artist who writes/ draws some really impressive essays on the environment. Like many of us, she's bothered by her "green conscience": the knowledge that our planet is in big, big trouble because of humans, and the question of what exactly can an individual do to stop the trainwreck.

What I love about Franke is that she doesn't stop at the helpless feeling. She researches, and acts at her own level, and then spreads the word. She's actually taken the idea of spreading the word to a whole new level - this summer, she has a travelling art show through Europe, showing some of the art she made.

At least, that's what she was trying to do - but she's run into some troubles. The Canadian government isn't too happy to have this travelling art show, because they feel it's attacking them. The show does mention a couple times that digging up the province of Alberta for tar sands is a very, very bad idea when the planet is already burning. So I guess she might have hit a nerve there.

But the type of reaction she's been getting against her art show is frankly ridiculous. Not only is she being ignored by Canadian embassies where she goes - there has even been some pressure put on local NGOs that were helping her to drop their support.

Uhm. Definitively hit a nerve there...

Opposing the tar sands publicly in Canada is increasingly unpopular (at least with the government). Asking important questions such as "Why do we choose to wreck the environment in the very long term to save the economy in the very short term?" or "Who is paying to clean up pollution?" is now politically incorrect.

I have a tendency of automatically appreciating people more when a government is trying to silence them - especially when they're asking inconvenient questions. If you're like me, you can help Franke by writing a supporting comment on her blog.

(And do take a look at her visual essays while you're there. They are really great.)

Good for you! Everyone is entitled to freedom of speech, you choose your medium, and be constructive with your art:) The world as a whole is deterior...

Good for you! Everyone is entitled to freedom of speech, you choose your medium, and be constructive with your art:) The world as a whole is deteriorating before our eyes and we need to speak up! Thank you for your courage.

Post a comment

OPTIONAL: Sign in now and avoid filling in forms! Not registered?
Sign up here
or login via facebook or google.

(Unregistered) Really?
says:

I fail to see how the government is "silencing" her. She asked around for the Canadian embassies abroad to pay for her trip, while the Canad...

I fail to see how the government is "silencing" her. She asked around for the Canadian embassies abroad to pay for her trip, while the Canadian missions' budget is already abysmal and being cut every year.

She says she is surprised no one wanted to host her show. It turns out that embassies are accountable to Ottawa for everything they do. One of the thing they have to do is to make sure that they respect the priorities of the Departement of Foreign Affairs (http://www.international.gc.ca/about-a_propos/priorities-priorites.aspx?view=d). Having these priorities make sure that taxpayers' money is not spent willy-nilly.

Furthermore, she provides not evidence whatsoever that she had secured the funding. Not signed agreement, no contract. She makes a lot claim with few proof to back it up.

I personally believe that more people should speak up against the tar sands and that it is a real issue for Canada. However, Franke James is making a scene because no special treatment was made for her.

TL;DR: The government has no money for events that do not fit its priorities. The only proof she was "silenced" comes from herself.

Post a comment

OPTIONAL: Sign in now and avoid filling in forms! Not registered?
Sign up here
or login via facebook or google.

(Unregistered) Franke James
says:

Juliette,

Thank you for posting your article on July 26. The show was cancelled August 3rd. Here's an update on my latest news...

Juliette,

Thank you for posting your article on July 26. The show was cancelled August 3rd. Here's an update on my latest news...

In exquisite timing which shows that truth-is-stranger-than-fiction, I got my Access to Information documents at the 11th hour before my crowd-funded protest artshow hit Ottawa. I opened the show on November 2nd. The bottom-line: The docs prove that Government officials in the Climate Change office killed the educational funding for my show -- but denied it in the media.